Lakers installed as early 2021 NBA title favorites

The Los Angeles Lakers pose for a team photo with the trophy after winning the 2020 NBA Championship over the Miami Heat in Game Six of the 2020 NBA Finals on October 11, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. N Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images/AFP

The Los Angeles Lakers have been installed as early favorites to repeat as NBA champions in 2021.

Fresh off their win over the Miami Heat in Game 6 on Sunday night to win the franchise’s 17th title, the Lakers were listed as 2021 favorites by most sportsbooks, including PointsBet (+375) and SportsBetting.com (+400).

Their city showdown against the Clippers never materialized in the bubble with the Clippers eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals. But the Clippers are still the second betting favorites for next season at +425 by PointsBet and +600 by SportsBetting.com.

The Milwaukee Bucks also suffered an early exit, as the heavy Eastern Conference favorites entering the playoffs were bounced by Miami in the semifinals. Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off his second consecutive league MVP award and the Bucks are being offered at +650 by PointsBet.

That’s just ahead of the Golden State Warriors (+750), who missed the playoffs this year but are anticipating the healthy return of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson next season. The Warriors also hold the No. 2 pick in next month’s NBA draft and are expected to land one of a handful of highly-rated prospects, or potential trade the pick to land an experienced veteran to pair with Curry and Thompson.

The expected bounce-back by the Warriors has them being offered at +700 by SportsBetting.com, ahead of the Bucks (+1000).

The Brooklyn Nets are being offered at +1000 by PointsBet and +1200 by SportsBetting.com as they prepared for the return of Kevin Durant, who sat out his first season in Brooklyn while recovering from a torn Achilles. That puts them in the thick of the Eastern Conference hunt, with the Boston Celtics (+1200) and Heat (+1300) right behind Brooklyn in PointsBet’s title odds.

The Western Conference again figures to be a tight battle. DraftKings is offering the Lakers as +175 favorites to repeat as conference champions, followed by the Clippers (+225), Warriors (+400) and Nuggets (+900).

The Bucks top the Eastern Conference odds at +200, followed by the Nets (+300), Heat (+350) and Celtics (+400). Meanwhile, the once-proud New York Knicks can be had at +30000, tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons for the longest Eastern Conference winner odds by the sportsbook. Field Level Media